Guys,

(I thought I had posted this on the list previously, but couldn't find it again)

I am hoping to confirm the history of an item I picked up at Amherst Train Show in Springfield, Ma. If it ends up not being NY,NH&H, it is not a problem. No matter who the owner was, I would like to get a historical photo and info.

I picked up this sign, if you went into the big building (Better Living Center??) at the show you probably saw it. It is 3 feet wide x 4 feet tall, 2"x2" pine rear frame with a Masonite face. The sign is painted a Cream White, could have originally been a bright white. About 4 inches in from all sides, is a yellow 1/4" wide stripe. The lettering is hand painted printer's script in a green/brown paint and is written as follows, including a couple of spelling errors.

Looks like the comma after ALCO PRODUCTS may have originally been painted as a period and the Incorporated is painted about 3/4 the size and by a different hand (fancy script).

When I was loading into the truck the Klieg lights in the lot showed that there was a previous sign below the paint. The previous sign looks to have been a continuous layer (probably glued) about 6 inches smaller then the sign, with a diagonal stripe removed from the lower section (lower field is about 1" tall on the left and 4" on the right, removed band is about 5" tall). I remember a show on Discover or one of the similar channels that used some camera technique to expose underlying layers of paint in old paintings that showed abandoned projects along with the initial sketches by the painters. It might be interesting to try this on the sign to see the old one, but I have forgotten the method, IIRC it used X-rays..

From info collected on another list it looks like this would have to have been made in the early 50's since ALCo is referred to as ALCo Products Incorporated and not American Locomotive Corp.

No matter what the final results are this will end up at the Ct Eastern RR Museum in Willimantic, as part of it's collection, I am hoping to complete the story of this item.



Regards,

Rich Cizik
MoW Foreman
Ct Eastern RR Museum
Willimantic, Ct 06226
www.cteastrrmuseum.org
rcizik5519(at)earthlink(dot)net

"Deisel" locomotive?


Was an S2 displayed at the World's Fair, by any chance?

JAC

The S-2 was too early, with the ALCo Products Inc. on the sign, it would mean that the earliest this sign could have been made was January-July 1954 (paperwork started appearing as ALCo Products in January and Builder's plates were in July[c/n 80915 800hp S-5 Demonstrator]). Prior to 1954 ALCo was referred to as either ALCo or American Locomotive Company. Even most of the S-4 were prior to the name change with only a few Industrial, SP, UP and GTW S-4s produced after the name change.

The only post '54 1000hp units were the S-6 & T-6 models, and the closest units were on the PRR & B&O.

Rich C